Pete Astor - You Made Me

by Dixie Ernill

published: 5 / 5 / 2020

Label: Gare du Nord/Faux-Lux
Format: CD

Cool album of cover versions from indie music veteran and former Loft and Weather Prophets frontman Pete Astor

Review

Until recent times, Pete Astor has only loosely been on my radar. I have a few 7” singles from his days in the Weather Prophets, including the brilliant 'Almost Prayed' and I was aware he had been in the Loft (an earlier group, not the room in the eaves of my house!). I saw him play live in Bristol back in 2018 and as a result was inspired to check out his last two solo albums – 2016’s fine 'Spilt Milk' and 2018’s even better 'One for the Ghost. It was, however, listening to an hour long interview with him on the excellent 'C86 Show' a few weeks back that that really grabbed me to want to find out more about this indie music veteran. So, the timing of his new album, made up almost entirely of covers of songs that have influenced him through his near forty years in the music game, could not have been better from a personal point of view. It also gives a great insight into what gets his creative juices flowing and the fact that, whilst there are a number of well known artists covered, he has resisted the obvious choices from their collective back catalogues, highlights the depth of his musical knowledge. Ranging from older tracks such as Richard Thompson’s '1952 Vincent Black Lightning' (1991) and Elvis Presley’s 'Black Star' (1960) right up to Cat Power’s 'Manhattan' (2012) and Villagers number, 'Courage' from 2015, Astor puts his own stamp on them all. Elsewhere, there’s a slightly hypnotic version of John Martyn’s 'Solid Air' and a fitting version of 'Suffering Jukebox' in tribute to the late David Berman of Silver Jews, while opening track is a fine cover of Billy Idol’s 'Dancing With Myself'. An album that will appeal to stoic disciples and new recruits alike.

Track Listing:-

1 Dancing With Myself
2 Black Star
3 Chained To An Idiot
4 Manhattan
5 Nitcomb
6 Vincent Black Lightning
7 Solid Air
8 Can't Hardly Wait
9 Courage
10 Suffering Jukebox
11 One Man Guy